K' Is for 'Kidnapper'
by FLONNIE B
Summary: I was a normal once. I swear I was at one stage. Then I fell into a world of half brothers, rock stars, love novels and pink bunnies… Since when did FAMILY become so... DIFFICULT? PLEASE R&R PEOPLE!
1. A' is for 'Alone'

I was a normal once. I swear I was, at one stage. Then I fell into a world of half brothers, rock stars, love novels and pink bunnies… To be perfectly honest my life was never typical. I grew up with only one parent. My mother was lovely. Sakoto Hishimoto was her name! She was my best friend, my role model and my hero all rolled into one 30-year-old package! Notice the word "was". It was six years ago when she died. It was the saddest day of my life. I cried all night until exhaustion took over and I fell asleep on the old sofa cushion near the window. I continued to cry for weeks afterwards. I think I still cry for her today.

She really was the best, my Mum. She raised me all by herself! After all, I was the product of drunken one-night-stand. Mum never heard from him again. And as if she'd want to! Mum found him two days latter and told him that she was pregnant, but he certainly didn't give a damn! Good! I always thought we were better off without him. I was never even told his name; only that he was **already** married and lived somewhere far off. I didn't want to know his name anyway. Cheating bastard.

Anyway, we were content as we were. Not wealthy. HA! Far from it! Actually we were dirt poor, but Mum always managed to scrape us through. She always managed to make something out of nothing. I remember that _**everything**_ was repatched and reused. Old containers, ratty curtains, toys on the brink of death, you name it, it was recycled. Nothing, I repeat _**nothing**_ was wasted and only tossed when it _finally_ met its death day. To be honest our small apartment was full of crap! But in my young mind I thought it was a treasure trove!

Mum always managed to make….whatever it was she was fixing, look as good as new, if not **better **when she'd finished with it. And the apartment was always neat, arranged in a style unique to my mother. She was quite the individual. She was funny, beautiful _and_ smart. My mother was my hero.

To have something like Cancer finally bring her down…. was unfathomable.

The lead up to it was horrible. Her organs were slowly fading away to nothing. She needed treatment, but refused it because we were too goddamn poor to afford it! I remember when I heard, I immediately took up a job. Whatever would take me on at only 10 years old. Eventually I got a job as an extra pair of hands in a local café, just sweeping floors and washing dishes really. I had hoped, in my naive 10 year old mind, to earn enough money to save Mum. It was short lived though. When Mum finally got so bad she couldn't work anymore, my little job was the only source of income (Oh! And some sort of sh*ty government hand outs that didn't help at all!).

I was absolutely terrified to go to work or school at that time. I was terrified that I would come home and my mother would not be breathing anymore. I was terrified that when I left, she would just fade away to nothing, and I wouldn't even get to say goodbye. At one stage I even asked her to try and contact that bastard of a father of mine. She scolded me for using the word "bastard" and then told me not to worry abut her. That was just Mum. Even in the toughest times she still had the strength to discipline me. She hugged me and said that she wouldn't even know where to start. That she didn't even know if he was alive. She was lying. I knew she was lying. I could see it in her eyes. I knew she had his phone number in one of our many books, even if it only was the one he'd given her on that faithful night of drunken pleasure nearly 10 years ago. So, when she fell asleep that night, I searched. I turned the entire house upside-down. I knew she was too exhausted to wake up, even if I made a hell of a lot of noise, so it was okay. The search was extremely difficult, especially since I was 10, I had small arms that didn't even reach over the third pantry shelf _and I didn't even know his name_. Finally, I came across a small black phone book the looked about 15 years old, in one of Mums drawers. It had only one thing written inside….Some thing that had been crossed out, repeatedly, in thick black marker –I think it had been his real name- and written under that….

"BASTARD

87 0789 9832"

This _**HAD**_ to be it. I thought it was terribly ironic that mum would yell at me for referring to him as such when she had too. I practically ran to the phone, dialled the numbers and waited.

"_The number you have reached is currently unavailable or has been disconnected. Please check the number and try again. The number you have reached has been disconn-" _

I hung up.

I cried myself to sleep that night. That was my last hope! There was nothing else I could do. I couldn't resign myself to the fact the Mum was dying. She was still alive, right? She was just in the next room! Still sleeping, breathing, drinking, eating (maybe not as much, but still eating). She was still Mum! And she was still here! And I won't let her go! I ran into Mums room and promptly started crying all over her.

I hadn't cried until now, I had worn a strong face, so had she, but we both knew this day was coming. The day of **acceptance** and I **HATED** it. The days that followed were the happiest and saddest of my life. Sad because I knew what was to come and happy because it was only Mum and me doing anything and everything we could fit in. I even took days off school and quit my job after I realised it was hopeless. We went to the amusement park for the first time in my life (it was fabulous), the park to feed the ducks and use the paddle boats, the shopping centre for ice-cream, the ice-skating rink -though, by the time we got there Mum was too tired to try it with me, so she just watched me stumble and fall on the ice for 2 hours. She would always fret when I fell too hard, but I put on my best brave face. I had to show she didn't have to worry about me when she finally left me.

She had already worried so much, through all the bullying…. Oh! Did I mention I had naturally blond hair and green eyes? My mother always told me that it must come from my father, since she has black hair and brown eyes. That always pissed me off. I hated him! I didn't want to look like him! When I was a little I had long hair. So, as soon as I could, I cut all my hair off. It remains short to this day. Luckily I inherited my mother's looks so I could pull it off. My mother was beautiful. She had prominent cheek bones waist length wavy black hair smooth milky skin, sparkling eyes and a body that could **kill** even _after_ she had me.

Anyway, I guess the kids in school bullied me because of my hair and eyes. It wasn't natural to have such hair in Japan. To have any sense of "normality" you had to have **black** hair and **black** eyes. I had neither. Therefore I was shunned. Kids can be cruel trust me. When I was 7, I was cornered by a bunch of boys from my class in a back ally. They pegged me with sticks and stones shouting things like "half cast" and "Bastard Child". Now contrary to the rhyme, sticks and stones do not break bones, they just f**king hurt. I still have a scare across my back where I was belted with a particularly nasty stick. Finally, I managed to knock one boy down and escape. I ran all the way home. But I didn't cry. That means they've won. Contrary to most 7 year olds I NEVER cried. I learnt young that it did _nothing_ to help your situation. Mum was furious when she found out. She stormed into the school and reported it –quite loudly- to the principal, who stuttered back that the boys would be dealt with. The parents of the boys were called and told what happened and the boys were given a quite serious lot of detentions and a mark on their permanent record. I wasn't bothered by the _same_ lot of kids again, but I was never really accepted in the primary schooling community.

However whenever something of this nature came up came up, I would always tell Mum. She had the best advice and would kindly help me through anything. That's what all mothers are meant to do, but _my_ mother did it **better**.

Eventually, THAT day rolled around. By this time my mother, my one and only mother was hooked up to about a dozen different, beeping machines in a hospital room that smelt like bleach and disinfectant. To be perfectly honest, she looked bloody awful. And I hated seeing her like that. I was brushing her hair; she loved it when I brushed her hair. I think it soothed her. While I was working away some of the bigger knots in her now short hair, she started talking to me about what was going to happen from here on in.

"__,…We have to talk about this sometime…. Please understand that this isn't going to be easy."_

I just looked at her strangely. I knew this wasn't easy. I was inevitably going to lose my mother.

"_I have stated in my will that your godmother is Fumi, so you will be living with her, alright?."_

Fumi Ishikawa and her husband Kato were both long running friends with my mother. In fact my Mother set them up together! They are both lovely people and personally, I wouldn't mind living with them at all, but they are both business people so I think I would be a hindrance. They owned a series of apartments for collage students. It's not really fabulous living but they keep it in order. I think I might ask to live in one of them. At least then, I'm out of their way.

_I nodded rather slowly (trying to quench tears and a runny nose) to show that I understood and was ok with the idea. _

"_I also have left you a small sum in an account I didn't tell you about. I should be enough for you to live off for a while. And I have already applied for further funding from the government, but honey, don't put your faith in that too much. I have no huge debts for you to worry about. But Aunt Fumi will deal with those. _

_Apart form being here while you grow up, I have done everything I wanted, just by having you_."

_I started to cry. Why was she saying this now? A grabbed her hand and squeezed it tight. I didn't want to let it go. I didn't want to let her go. I didn't know it then, but I'm certain she could feel her end coming. _

"_Mum…I love you" I smiled at her. We cried together like that for a long time._

That was mid-morning. By afternoon she had worked herself into a state of - Oh, How did the doctors put it?…. "Rapid Deterioration".

She had doctors running around the room shouting at people to give Mum different drugs and shots, machines beeping wildly. I got a bit lost in the chaos. One very intimidating, sturdy built doctor shuffled me out of the room and into the hallway and that's where I stayed for the better part of the evening. The hallway smelt uncomfortably strong of disinfectant, I had been sitting in the same spot for 2 hours, I hadn't eaten all day, I really needed to pee but I didn't dare move. It was almost as if moving would break some invisible shield or set off some invisible bomb to tick over and I would never she Mum again. I wanted time to freeze, _rewind_ would be better….back to before when Mum wasn't dying. Some feeble doctors would occasionally come out of there 'hiding places' to attempt to comfort me but I wasn't really that responsive and they eventually dispersed to go deal with some other medical issue. Then the doors to Mothers room opened…

A small middle aged man dressed in pristine white medical attire emerged from the room looking ragged. I never saw this man again in my lifetime so how could I have guessed that he and the entire _two words_ that he spoke to me could have such an impact on my life.

"_I'm sorry"_

Numb. That's the best way to describe it. I stayed there for a long time after. Just holding her hand. I didn't want to let it go, but eventually I had to.

6 years later and here I am!

Kazuki Hishimoto! Now 16! I live in one of Fumi's apartments. I asked to live alone at 11. They were against me living alone at such a young age, but I proved that I was more than capable. So, after a bit of convincing they let me. I attend the public High School, Kibiyashi High. I like art and drama, pretty average at maths (but not bad at it!) and am currently obsessed with America and I love learning different languages. Currently I can speak Japanese and English fluently and am working on German and French. Also, I am surprisingly good a sports. I have two best friends' named Yuui and Kai more on them later. I really don't know what I am going to do when I finish school, but I'm only in grade 11! Still have time… All in all, pretty normal…..

However my days as "Normal" were about to come to an end soon…Very soon….


	2. B' is for 'Beginnings'

**Tokyo, NG Studios.**

The meeting was so boring. Yes, even _I_ get bored with it all sometimes. Not only was the meeting boring, but it was also exhausting. Plus the paperwork I have lined up this afternoon is incredible. Truth be told, I was glad when the meeting was over and I could retire to my office. At least there I have peace. Well… peace to a degree. Even at the studios I have constant noise and interruption; Shindo-san slacking off and stirring up K-san, who in turn starts blasting holes in the lower levels. Not only that but I have Ryuichi and Kumagorou in here whenever Ryuichi gets bored, Sakuma-san crying about impending deadlines and Shindo-san's lack of new lyrics…..

Thinking back on it, it's amazing I get any work done in the office at all. But for some reason, I work best here.

It was a late Monday afternoon. I was in my office (as per usual) doing some of the ever accumulating paperwork, I knew I wouldn't be getting out of here early, but such are the tasks required of the president of one of the biggest music corporations in Asia.

It was actually quiet this afternoon. Shindo-san was depressed about some recent Yuki problem, and with no Shindo-san, K didn't have anything to shoot at. I knew Ryuichi was with Noriko so he was occupied. Sakuma-san…..Had already been in here **twice** crying about Shindo-sans lyrics, so, he was probably out somewhere taking chill pills and rehydrating.

Therefore, quiet…..

I wasn't _expecting_ the phone call.

The phone rang (again, as per usual) ripping me out of my "paperwork zone". I answered it with my usual introduction.

"Good evening, NG Records, This is Segiuchi Tohma. Can I help you?"

"Good Evening Mr Segiuchi. My name is Yamamoto Touya, from the Central Tokyo Public Hospital. …It is with my greatest regret that I tell you this. However, today at approximately 4:35 your father, Segiuchi John-san, suffered a massive cardiac arrest….. 10 minutes later he was admitted to hospital, where his heart stopped and refused to revive…. I am incredibly sorry…"

There was a long silence. Both lost for words.

"I see…. I understand…. I will be there in 20 minutes"

With that I hung up, grabbed my keys and left. I didn't even bother locking my office. No one would _dare_ entre, if they knew what was good for them.

My father had just died. That information was still processing, so I wasn't really upset yet.

I suppose it was to be expected, he had been suffering from a heart condition for years. My Mother had already passed away years prior. I was probably "closer" to her than I was my father, but I was never really _close_ to my parents. They were both nice people. They never treated me badly but they were _distant_. We all just lived in the same house really. My parents were always such career people. Always trying to be successful business people, however they never really succeeded. Contrary to my lifestyle _now_, I did not come from and outstandingly wealthy background. We had enough money to live comfortably, with a few extras here and there. For example, my parents would only ever buy brand name clothes, to try and 'dress to impress'. So, we could afford _those_ types of clothes, but we didn't have millions. My parents would always leave for work in the early hours of the morning and get home quite late, especially my father. However, though distant, these people were still my parents.

The drive to the hospital was uneventful; I was just lost in my thoughts.

I arrived to find my father lying on a bed in one of the many hospital rooms, with a thin white sheet covering his face. It was truly a pitiful sight. All I did was identify the man as my father and walk out of the room. The atmosphere was morbid and I couldn't stand the sight of him in that state any longer. After the doctors gave me the information of where the body would be held, I left. The hospital was a long detour, in the opposite direction, from my house so I phoned Mika and told her what happened on the long drive. She didn't know my father well enough to be truly upset about it.

We both managed to hold ourselves together without much difficulty.

~~~~GRAVITATION~~~~

However the real shock didn't come until the next day.

Usually one would wait until after the funeral to see to all the legal implications of a family members death however, I honestly have no time for such trivial paperwork in my already paperwork filled life.

I wasn't really expecting to inherit anything worthy of merit from my father. I didn't need (or want) anything in the way of money or assets and he had very few personal items of "special" nature to me. Therefore my attitude on the way to the will reading was _"business as usual"_. I arrived at the court house with my lawyer and solicitor, no one else was present. I had no siblings or close relatives so this wasn't an issue. The reading was in a little conference room off from the main part of the court house.

The reading went well with the only item sparking my interest being a small (to me at least) some of money left to a 'Miss Sakoto Hishimoto', A woman I had never heard of and to be left that amount in my fathers family will she would have had to have had some significants. However, it was of little importance to me. After the conference, I gathered my things and began making my way towards my car, thoughts of a paperwork filled afternoon numbing my mind, when my solicitor yelled out to me from across the lot making his way towards me. I was handed a plain white envelope with my name written on it in my fathers writing.

He told me simply that "_it was found with the will, addressed to you, so, you should read it"_

I wasn't expecting anything from this crumpled unremarkable envelope, however, I was curious. What couldn't he tell me during his lifetime that was worthy enough to write a personal letter left with his will? So, in the comfort of my office later that afternoon,… I opened it.

~~~~GRAVITATION~~~~

Tohma,

. If you're reading this it means that I am dead and inevitably too much of a coward face my demons. This is something I have never even told your Mother. You must understand, I have always regretted this… and if I could do it all again, things would have turned out differently. I wouldn't have run away, I would have faced it, but I was ashamed Tohma. Please understand.

It was during one of many business trips, this time to Morioka. The trip was a total disaster. It turns out we lost a fair amount of money on one of my bad trades. At that time I was pretty physically and emotionally stressed. I drown my troubles in alcohol that night. By the time it was 10pm I was gone. And that's when she showed up. I believe her name was 'Sakoto Hishimoto'. She was stumbling to the door and I was getting up to leave….we ended up on the floor. In our state, we both thought it was the funniest thing ever. I don't remember it very well, but, one thing led to another, and we ended up in each others company that night.

She found me again two days later, at the train station, after "Scouring the city". She told me she was pregnant and it was defiantly mine. Tohma, please understand, I was _married_. I also had you, a fifteen year old son. I was perfectly content with life the way it was, I didn't need this to ruin all that for me! So, I ran away from it all. I left her standing in the station. I remembered I had given her my number on that night, a stupid move. I promptly changed all our phone numbers upon my return home. All she knew about me was my name and that I was already married. I deemed that risky, but safe enough to continue life without having to worry about her coming knocking on our door. I never told your Mother this and until you read this, No one else has known.

But this all happened so long ago Tohma. I don't even know if she kept it. I had her phone number but, I was always too much of a coward to find out about her. My biggest regret is running, however, I still see it as the only option. If I could go back I would do it all differently. Please understand that I loved you and your Mother. I am not forcing you to find this woman; I just wanted you to know.

Goodbye Son,

I love you,

Father

Meanwhile, somewhere across the country, a completely normal day of school was underway…


	3. C' is for 'Chaos'

I woke up at some ungodly hour, far before my alarm clock was set to go off. I don't even know why I set it. I'm always up before it is.

It's not like I was morning person, God No! I usually just shuffle around the house like a zombie in the mornings until I have my morning dose of caffeine. It's just that my body clock was programmed to wake me up early.

It was 6 o'clock when I rolled out of bed and into the kitchen to turn the kettle on. I yawned as I shuffled into the lounge room to turn on the TV. I downed a cup of coffee and got in the shower, letting the hot water wake me up a bit more. It worked.

I got dressed into my uniform. I actually didn't mind my schools uniform that much. I looked good in it. It was a typical sailor type uniform for the girls, done in our school colours (White with green trim -it was a nice green though, a darkish green, like tropical plants). It matched my eyes. My hair didn't need styling, all I needed to do was brush it. It was short with a little natural wave, so it fell naturally into a style that looked good.

I went to the kitchen to make breakfast. I hate cereal (don't know why, but I do) and all I really felt like was bacon and eggs. So, 15 minutes later I was downing two eggs, some bacon and some orange juice while reading the paper. I don't like our local paper, full of crap, but I read it anyway (something to do in the mornings).

My apartment was not very big. It had the essentials though, one bedroom, an open lounge room attached to the small kitchen and a bathroom next to the bedroom. Yeah, it was small, but it was all I needed to live. It came full furnished –TV included- so that was a plus. The rent was very cheap, since my Godmother 'Aunty' Fumi owned it. They didn't want me to pay rent at all, but I insisted. After all, I was occupying one of their rental flats. They eventually settled for me not paying the full rent rate.

I was truly grateful to my Godmother Fumi and her husband Kato. They were great people. Fumi insisted that I call her "Aunty Fumi" and Kato "Uncle Kato" even though we're not blood related. I didn't object to it, they were almost like a real Aunty and Uncle to me. I went round to their house once a week to just say hi and tell them how my week was (oh! And give them the rent), usually I'd just sit round and watch pro wrestling with Uncle Kato. Originally, Uncle Kato (sort of) forced me to watch the wrestling with him (It was either wrestling or go grocery shopping with Aunt Fumi- trust me the lady was scary when there were specials on), but, after about five episodes of the sport…I was _addicted_. I now almost beg to watch it with him now (Uncle Kato screams at the TV as much as I do) and I do my damndest to remember the moves!

They did well for themselves. They had a nice house with lots of space. They even set up a room for me, encase I ever needed it. I didn't want to be rude so I thanked them well for it, even though it was an unnecessary gesture. Right now they were over seas, touring Europe, for their 15th Anniversary. They would be gone for a month. Though, they weren't very concerned leaving me here, after all, I have been living alone for a number of years now, but they left their mobile number just in case. I thought it was romantic and a much needed break for them.

After breakfast, I washed my plate went into the bathroom to brush my teeth. It was still a bit early to go to school, but I got bored just hanging around the house, so I decided I'd leave and go talk to Mr Walker.

Mr Walker owned a small fruit and produce store a few streets away from my apartment and he is also my current employer. I work there after school most days and his store is where I buy most of my groceries. He's approximately about 50 and really is a kind man. He's also an American.

When I first moved here I was obsessed with America. I thought America was just **the coolest thing ever**. The obsession even inspired me to learn English and therefore christened my fixation with languages'. So, I just thought it was 'Christmas come early' when I found out that an _**authentic**_ American lived so close. I started talking to him in the very little English I knew. At that time, it was very badly pronounced so he thought it was very funny. He instantly took a liking to me.

I was practically around at his shop every afternoon, just helping out here and there and trying to talk to him in English. Eventually he offered me a job and I took him up on the offer. I still work there now. My English got very good. He said I even have the accent down!

I talked to Mr Walker (not Walker-san) for a while that morning –in English of course. He always liked to tell me stories about his life in America, this time was no different. He gave me some of his fruit cake he baked yesterday, I thanked him and left.

By the time I got into the school yard it was 7:30. Still early, but oh well.

The school looked just how it had since primary sch-

"KAAAAAZZZZUUUKIIIIIII!"

I barely had time to register that it was my name being called before a huge mass landed on my back and I went face first into the ground.

"Ohayo Kazuki!"

My best friend Yuui Hajii was happily perched on my back.

"Ne, did you get question 4 on the chemistry homework last night? Cause I tried it but really just failed epically…"

"Ne Yuui, Can you get off me? It's ….hard to breath… with you ….sitting on me."

"Ah! Gomen"

I sucked in about a years worth of air when she got off. With my air passages now open, I could talk.

"Ohayo Yuui. Question 4… that was the one with the balancing chemical equations, right? No, didn't get it. Got the rest though."

"Really? Can you show me how to do 11? Didn't get that one either."

"Sure"

Yuui Hajii had been my friend for 4 years now. She had black hair that she styled differently _every_ day (right now it was up in a high ponytail with a gold ribbon around it) and black eyes also, just like millions of others that live in this country. She was pretty, loud and a bit overprotective but so was my mother. I guess that's why I like her so much; she's a bit like my mother.

I remember when we met… She had saved me. Not really from death or anything but, still saved me. I was cornered by a bunch of kids calling me names and such. I was 12 then, so I was giving it back to them somewhat, but still losing the argument pretty badly. It's not like I was a little push over, I know how to handle myself, but neither did I look intimidating. I looked like an easy target for bullies. Plus, this time there were a lot of kids and I knew I couldn't take all of them. One of them had hit me. That's when Yuui shown up. She elbowed the bastard right in the gut, grabbed me and ran away.

We stopped to rest in a side ally. She made sure I was okay. I thanked her and asked_ "Why did you do that? You could have been hurt in the process you know."_ She just smiled at me and said _"I know, but hell, what did you what me to do? Leave you there?"_

"_Of course not, thank you." _I returned her smile. We talked for a while and discovered we had a lot in common. Since then we've been best friends. Yuui's great. We can talk for hours on something we both like, but disagree something terrible on another thing. For example, we both love bishonen anime, but automatically fall for completely different guys in it. We read different types of books, watch different types of TV shows and listen to different music. That's kind of how we work, different opinions make life interesting. Yuui also has this thing about obsessing over_** SOMETHING**_, like the latest movie stars or pop icons. Right now it's-

"OH MY GOD! Did you she Bad Lucks concert on TV last night? Channel 9 at 7:30?"

I was now deaf in my left ear.

"It was soooo cool! The lights were amazing and Suuichi-san was just ahhhh…"

She started drooling and 'squee-ing' over 'Suichi Shindo'. She won't even hear my answer if I told her now….. She'll be like this all morning…..

We were in our class room, just hanging about before class. I was sitting at my desk trying to decipher my chemistry teacher's scribbles; she called them "chemical equations". It's not like I was dumb. God No! I was in fact on the honour board, a fact I am quite proud of. It's just that chemistry wasn't one of my strong subjects.

"How you going with that Kazuki?" a voice said right in my ear.

I jumped a good foot. I whipped around to find Kai mischievously smiling down at me.

"Very well thank you." I pouted "though…I could use some help with Question 4…. Please?"

He just smiled at me and shook his head muttering something like "typical". He turned the chair in front of me around and sat down. Kai Mori has been my friend for a long time. A good 6 years. In fact we met in the hospital when mum was still sick. Kai had been hospitalized because of a broken leg that had gotten infected. He was in a wheelchair. I remember the day I met him, I was bored… **really** bored.

Mum had fallen asleep and I didn't want to wake her up accidentally, so I left the room. I was just wandering around the lower levels of the hospital as bored as hell. That's when I came across the boy. He was sitting by the window crying…. I didn't know what to do in these situations. I vaguely wondered if I should just walk away and just let him cry, but some part of my conscious wouldn't let me. So, I walked into the room and asked him, in my best 'innocent voice' what was wrong.

He whipped around in surprise. This boy was slow. He didn't even notice me come in!

"_My leg hurts." _ He told me simply.

That's when I noticed his leg. It was wrapped up in layers of bandage, but I could tell it must have felt awful. It looked horrible. He also had cuts on his face and hands.

"_What happened?"_

"_Car crash… no one died though."_

"_Oh…" _I said quite lamely_. "You know, crying won't solve anything"_

"_Huh?" _he said, tears rolling down his cheeks_. _

"_Crying….It won't solve anything."_

"_I know but, I can't help it. My leg hurts"_

"_It will hurt for a while, so, all you'll do now is get dehydrated."_

That shut him up. I got him a tissue, saving him having to wipe his nose on his PJ's.

"_What's your name?" he asked me. _

"_Kazuki Hishimoto"_ I replied. We talked for a while. He was nice, I liked him. Eventually the doctors found me and told me my mother was awake and looking for me, but I visited him nearly everyday after. He also helped me through when my mother died; being the only person I ever told the full story too. I guess you could say we grew up together. Kai had short brown hair and brown eyes. He was in a sense, very good looking. He seemed to constantly have a few girls interested in him and would occasionally go out with the nicer ones, only then would we have an extra member in our little group.

He, Yuui and I make up our group of friends. We eat together; go up town together, though I think Kai gets bored when we shop together. I can't buy much, but Yuui drags me along to different clothing stores for fashion advice. We're close friends. We still have our own secrets (like everyone does) but still fairly close.

Once Kai explained how to do question 4, I thanked him and scrambled to do it before the bell rang.

Homeroom was as homeroom ever was, just our class representatives –Hino and Daisuke- asking for student council suggestions and encouraging us to study- which of course, we didn't take to heart. At the moment the school was pretty laid back. The terms exams were over and this was the last week of school before the holidays. Everyone was ready for a break. Who knew grade 11 could be this difficult?

I had no real plans for the holidays. I suppose I'd just work and occasionally do something with Yuui and Kai, Same ol' same ol'.

My afternoon line-up of subjects was not exciting. First Chemistry (yay…), then Maths 2 and after that Maths 3 (Maths 3 was optional, but I'm crazy and decided to do two Maths), Physical education (right now were doing high jump) and my final subject of the day, Japanese.

The day progressed as normal. It was my last chemistry lesson for the term so I got a tone of homework (again, _yay_…). I was really tired when I got home, so I just ate a quick dinner, had a shower and went to bed. It wasn't even 9:00 yet….

And that was my Tuesday, but across the city right now a music business lord was pacing in his office. . .


	4. D' is for 'Discord'

Author Note: Right, I'm stepping things up a notch….

Tokyo, NG Studios approx 9:00pm…

I couldn't think of anything to do but pace at the moment. A million things at once rushed through my head as soon as I put down that letter. My father had cheated on my Mother. Just who was this woman? Did she keep her child? Do I now have a sibling? How do I find her/him? And, Do I _really_ want to meet them?...

After a lot of deliberation on that last Question, I had finally decided that…yes, I do want to meet my sibling –if I had one. Therefore, I had to find this Hishimoto Satoko person.

Using my various contacts and connections, I managed to track her down…..

Only to find out that she was dead…. died of cancer over 6 years ago.

Damn. However, after more searching, I discovered the piece of information I really sort. Satoko Hishimoto had had a daughter….kazuki Hishimoto. I had a sister; it almost came as a shock.

I dug deeper and discovered her current address (it turns out she lives alone), the school she attends and her current employment position. I had every plan to go round there and meet her (not now –it was a long drive to Morioka, maybe in the morning), however, that plan was short lived… There was a knock on my door, stopping my pacing.

"Yes?" I called out.

My secretary poked her head round my door.

"I am planning on leaving now Seguchi-sama." She said with a smile "I thought I should remind you not to forget the meeting with the board heads tomorrow."

"Ok, Arigato Yamamoto-san" She bowed, and left.

Damn. The board meeting…. That was important….But, I really did want to go and meet my sister tomorrow.

CLICK!

I clicked my fingers. I had idea…I couldn't leave…but someone else could…

~~~~GRAVITATION~~~~

Normal morning, Normal walk to school, normal homeroom, normal school day….

That was my Wednesday. I had no plans for tonight. No invited guests or even work…only a shit load of chemistry homework.

So, imagine my surprise when I returned home to find a sleek red sports car parked in front of my place.

Some blond guy with a long pony tail wearing black sunglasses was walking up to my door about to knock on it.

What the hell? I walked up to him.

"Um…can I help you sir?"

_CLICK CLICK_

The barrel of a .44 calibre gun was pressed to my forehead.

I made an odd squeaking noise and dropped my bag. My mind suddenly went oddly blank. There was a long silence (though, it was probably was only a few seconds). Then…

"Into the car."

I squeaked in return.

It was a short clear command, and who was I to disagree? I was scared shitless at the moment. I couldn't even concentrate enough to take in what he looked like or what he sounded like for that matter. My whole world was a blur.

I turned shakily around and walked over to the red sports car, all the time he had his gun pointed to the back of my head. I opened the door and got in while he crossed around front and got in the drivers' seat. Somehow he managed to start the car and buckle in his seatbelt one handed, cause his gun was still pointed at me.

The only thing I could think at the moment was_ Oh Fuck, what have I done to piss off the mafia?_

The car took off with such speed that it sucked me back into the seat. This guy _LOVED_ extreme speed. Just another thing to add to my heart attack list.

The ride was frightful.

He drove like some sort of secret agent. Flawing it up the main stretches of road and screeching round corners. I was **very**, no, **extremely **scared. I couldn't talk all I did was sit there. Nice move.

However, after about the first 5 minutes I got my ability to think back and after about an hour of driving, the thrill wore off and I got sick of being kidnapped…..

Who the fuck wants to kidnap _me_? Of all people why me? Where the hell are we going? And just who was this blond guy anyway?

I studied him.

He was wearing a plain white cotton shirt, white long pants with suspenders, _purple_ tie, but, the thing that really stood out to me was his long blond hair. He was wearing sunglasses, so I couldn't tell what colour his eyes were.

It had been about an hour and a half since the 'kidnapping'. I was currently in a car bound for… _**god knows where**_ with my kidnapper, with a gun **still** pointed at my head… and I was dead bored. I was also… **angry**. Just who the fuck did this fellow think he was that he could just take me like that? I was getting more and more frustrated as the minutes passed….. That's it! Time for some answers…

"Just where the fuck are we going?" I finally asked breaking our accord of silence. Sorry about the swearing, but, I can be pretty hostile when my back against the wall.

He said nothing back to me. That pissed me off. I thought I deserved _some_ answers, HE was the one who kidnapped ME after all. So, I asked again…

Still nothing.…..I snapped …

"OI! You owe me some answers here!"

"Tokyo."

That one word was all I needed. It answered one of my questions, but most importantly…

…his voice…

I now knew he was American… I could practically feel the sadistic smile that spread across my face.

…He didn't know that I spoke English…..

"ARIGHT YOU STUPID AMERICAN!" I screamed in English. "WHAT THE FUCK'S GOING ON! WHY THE FUCK DID YOU KIDNAP ME YOU STUPID PIECE OF SHI-"

CLICK CLICK

The guns safety was just clicked off. Shit, but I didn't care. I was still too fuckin' angry.

"Who are you?" I asked sternly.

"K"

_Great_… **K** for '**K**idnapper'!

"Why Tokyo?"

"You'll find out when we get there"

He fell silent. I knew he probably wouldn't answer anymore of my questions even if I asked him, so I just sat there quietly and thought.

_Tokyo. _Tokyo was a **very** long way away. Maybe even a full night's drive! Maybe I could jump out of the car? I looked at the speedo. Damn. We were going too fast for that idea. Knock out the driver? NOPE! Not while the guns still there. I looked around for more options. But after finding none, I tried in vain to remember streets and highways, so I could find my way back, but hell, I couldn't concentrate with a gun against my temple. What the hell was going to happen? Why did they take me?

One thing was for sure, I am NOT about to just sit here and let them do whatever they want to me. I couldn't do anything at the moment, not with the gun still against my temple anyway. I would try to escape as soon as I got out of the car, time for all those years of watching pro wrestling to finally pay off. . .


	5. E' is for 'Enough of this shit'

I was pulled back to consciousness by some random mutterings. I must have dozed off for a while there, 'cause when I woke up it was just before sunrise. You would've thought that being kidnapped would give you enough adrenaline to brave the night, but, unfortunately, all my energy had been used up yelling at my kidnapper and devising escape plans and again, unfortunately, I still didn't have any.

The sunrise was beautiful. Just miles and miles of endless oranges, reds, pinks and blues spread across the sky, and the centrepiece of it all being that ol' eternal fireball just peaking above the horizon. The clouds all seemed to have silver linings at this time of morning. Beautiful. But, the moment was ruined when I remembered what woke me up; I could hear muffled talking….

Kidnapper-san was talking on the phone.

Wait. …This might be my chance to learn something. I don't think he's noticed I'm awake yet. Good….

"Hai…Hai…Yes I've got her…yes unharmed…"

Oh shit! _"unharmed"_ What the hell are they planning?

"Hai, she's got quite a mouth on her. …HAHAHA! Yes! She looks just like you too. Haha."

_Huh?_

"Right. I understand. We should be there soon."

The phone was clicked shut. I just lay there for a while and pretended to be asleep. What the hell was that about?

"_Yes! She looks just like you too"_….? Although that was unimportant, what worried me was the _"unharmed"_ part of the conversation.

Right! Lets 'wake up' and try to pry some more answers out of him.

I produced a very fake sounding yawn and shuffled a bit to announce my 'waking up'. I looked over at kidnapper –san and was immediately on my guard. Kidnapper-san saw that I was awake and AGAIN put the gun to my head. ARGH!

He saw my change from 'sleepy' to 'guarded' and …._**laughed**_ at me. The nerve he had…

"Come now, I'm not that bad am I?" he smiled and said in his slurred Japanese.

What the hell was this? K the friendly Kidnapper?

"Well, considering you KIDNAPPED me, I'd say you are. Also, the gun to the head is NOT necessary thank you!"

"I'm not kidnapping you"

GRRRRR!

"Then what the fuck do you call this?"

He just laughed at me, _**again**_, and said

"Family reunion"

I must have made quite a funny face at that comment, cause Kidnaper-san went from chuckling at me to straight out laughing.

Huh? Family reunion? What the hell is that supposed to mean? This guy….

My tension levels were climbing to dangerous levels. I'm sure that being so agitated in the morning can't be healthy.

The roads began to change and we were lead into the outskirts of the city. We were arriving in Tokyo. Oh shit! We were getting close, but I was more AGITATED than anxious.

My ass hurt, my temple was now raw and I was truly SICK of being kidnapped.

I didn't care if I had no escape plan and I didn't care that this arse hole had a gun against my head. We were now in the main business district. If anything happened all I had to do was scream and that would attracted a lot of attention.

We pulled up in front of a tall building. No '_tall_' would be an understatement. This building was freaking enormous! Though I didn't have a lot of study time cause kidnaper-san commanded action.

"Out"

I complied before he had to click the gun this time. I wanted out of that car. Wrestling, don't fail me now….

I was marched inside through think sliding glass doors into some sort of HUGE reception area. By this time I was fuming. I didn't care who worked here, what their jobs were, who the fuck commanded I be kidnapped, I was ready to kill something. When we were about halfway across the room I acted…

I elbowed kidnaper right in the gut! Grabbed his arm and (using one of the moves I'd seen on TV) flipped his over and sent his gun flying. Of course, I think he'd been expecting _something _cause he recovered quickly, but, by then, I was halfway to his gun and almost out the door.

BANG BANG!

Two bullets whizzed by my right ear and left two neat holes in the wall behind me. That stopped me. Kidnaper-san had pulled out two revolvers from seemingly nowhere. I knew he missed on purpose.

By now we had attracted a bit of an audience. All the secretaries and random business men in suits were now at a safe distance away and looking on like this was an everyday galah event. I thought it was a bit strange that no one was calling the police, or at least _security_…but I was a bit preoccupied to care.

I was stuck. I had two guns pointed at me and NO escape roots. Shit. I needed a distracti-

A pink tornado suddenly tore into the room knocking over a few desks while shouting something like "YUKI LOVES ME!"

Distraction!...

I was running to the door at top speed, however, Kidnaper was faster. He managed to dodge the tornado and get to the door, _before _I could, and completely block it! Shit!

Two revolvers now pointed at me. No doors. Not any practical windows to break. Nothing…

"K-san what are you doing?"

The pink tornado was actually a boy.

It took a moment to register someone was taking. My eyes didn't leave _K-san_ more accurately, didn't leave his guns.

"Just, detaining a client Suichi"

"_Detaining_?" I practically spat the word. "**This** is _detaining_?" I pointed to his twin revolvers.

"Let me outta here ass hole. I've had enough of this KIDNAPING!"

"I told you. This isn't a kidnapping."

"THE FUCK THIS ISN'T A KIDNAPING!"

I pushed past the little pink hair man in front of me and marched right up to Kidnapper-san, until I was right in his face. I didn't care if I got shot!

"You **will** let me out that door" I spoke with enough malice to make the hairs on the back of your arm stand up.

"I can't do that sorry"

"ARGHHH!-"

TING! The elevator doors swung open.

"Hishimoto-san please calm down" said a new voice.

I rounded on the newcomer ready to strike.

He was a beautiful looking blonde guy, dressed in a long black coat with purple frocks on the hems. What was it with this place and blonds? I opened my mouth to yell but he cut me off before I could say anything.

"I was the one who told K-san to bring you here, though it didn't need to be done quite so forcefully, K-san" That last part was not directed at me. Kidnaper-san put away his guns and muttered that _"she wouldn't have come otherwise"_

I, on the other hand, was still **very** angry.

"Why. Am. I. here.?" I asked my word laced with venom.

"Oh! Hishimoto-san how rude of me please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Seguchi Tohma. Maybe we could talk in my office?-"

"NO FUCKING WAY" I cut him off "I'm not going anywhere with you people till you tell me what the fuck is going on!"

The blonde fellow looked lost for words

"Well… I'm your elder brother….."

Blow to the head…..

HUH? Wait back up… Seguchi Tohma … Wasn't he some rich music hot shot? Would explain the big ass building. Which would also mean…I studied the little pink haired guy in front of me…yep... Suichi Shindo…. And the last comment…ELDER BROTHER! WHAT?

I was so confused at the moment that I just laughed. I must have looked pretty psycho to anyone in the room at the time.

"Wait, wait. So, first I'm kidnapped, dragged halfway across the country with a **gun** to my head, used to play shootouts with in some corporate building and then some blond guy in a frock-y coat tells me he's my brother? And you expect me to just except this and play happy families?"

"Hishimoto-san-"

I lowered my head so my bangs covered my face and my hands formed fists and started shaking "You've never come to find me before now. Why suddenly get sentimental and seek me out?"

"To be fair I didn't know you existed until two days ago."

"Oh well that's great… You know what? You can stick this whole thing! I have exceeded my daily dose of weird!"

I ran about five steps. Stopped…and turned to face the little pink haired guy…

"Can I have your autograph?"

Everyone in the room fell to the ground.

"I have a friend in Morioka who'll kill me if I don't get it for her"

"S-Sure"

After a very hurried autograph, I ran full pelt out the door and didn't look back.

~~~~~GRAVITATION~~~~


	6. F' is for 'Finding Bonds'

I had walked a couple of blocks in sheer, blinding anger before a coherent thought crossed my mind.

I was in Tokyo…

…with no money…

…no phone…

…and no way to get back….

.Shit.

My school bag was…

…on the lawn in front of my apartment complex…

….in Morioka….

_Great…_

~~~~GRAVITATION~~~~

Well that could have gone better…

Maybe that wasn't the best way to handle the situation, but I have never been good at handling these kinds of situations. If someone _**else **_were having these problems maybe I could, but _**I**_ personally have never been exposed to something _family related_ like this-

"Seguchi-san, what's going on?" Suichi ventured.

I just ignored him and ran straight out the door after her.

~~~~GRAVITATION~~~~

GGgrrrrrrrrrrrr…..

_Great…_

Now I was hungry. I hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday (and my lunches weren't usually something to brag about… they were small! I live alone damnit! (I am a perfectly competent cook thank you!)

And I was pennyless as well…GOD! THIS DAY JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER!

I have a brother…. Well, I don't care if he is related to me by blood; I don't want anything to do with that bastard who left my mother to die. He was NOT my father and this man is NOT my brother.

I had gotten a fair few blocks from the building now, and had no idea where I was, but I didn't care. Maybe I'd find a train station and BEG them to let me ride home. Put it on credit or _something_? I could go to the police. Surely this kidnapping is enough to vouch me a free ride home…. And maybe a meal?

Right now though I was walking past a bakery. I had always had a weakness for baked goods, ever since I was little, and the smells coming from this bakery were enough to make you drool. I put my face right up to the glass. Tokyo bakeries are amazing! This one had everything! Cakes, tarts, pies, sweetbreads, pastries with _cream_! I must have been making some pretty weird faces-

"Are you hungry? I'll buy you something if you like."

"WAHH!" I jumped about a foot in the air.

I whirled around to find my _'brother'_ smiling down at me.

"I don't what anything from _you_" I spat out, instantly recovering.

I started walking again _hoping_ he'd take the hint, but, he just jogged on up to me again. He _knew_ that I didn't want him there, but he just _chose_ to ignore it. Little bastard.

"Please Kazuki-san, at least hear me out."

"It's _Hishimoto_-san to you and why should I? I don't want anything to do with you or that bastard of a father of mine"

"You don't have too…he's dead"

I stopped eyes wide.

The bastard was dead? He had upped and died on me? Who the fuck gave him permission to do that? I wanted an apology. No, I wanted him to apologise to my Mother! Apologise for just leaving her there with HIS child. Apologise for not being there to support her in raising me. Apologise for not answering his phone when SHE needed him most! You know what? Fuck 'A_pology'_! I wanted to beat the motherfucker into the ground!

If possible, I hated him even _more_ after he was dead. My hands were actually shaking!

I'm sure my 'brother' noticed too because he asked me if I wanted to sit down but I hissed away from his touch like it burned.

"I'm sure this has been an emotional couple of days for you Hishimoto-san"

I inputted my own psycho laugh at that.

"But if you'll just hear me out I'll explain everything."

I was still in a state of shock. Hungry, tried and I really did need to sit down even though I would never tell him that. So, I just nodded my approval.

~~~~GRAVITATION~~~~

Back at the studio…

Suichi was sitting in the middle of the studio floor -cross legged- just thinking about what happened three minutes ago. Sakano-san was running around like a crazy idiot screaming at Suichi that bad luck was behind schedule and that Seguchi-sama would not be pleased about the bullet holes, Hiro was tuning his guitar since the band obviously were doing nothing today, Suguru was fiddling with a lead break on his key board at least _trying_ to be productive and K-san was polishing his many, _**many**_ guns.

"AHHHHHH!" Suichi suddenly jumped up startling everyone (except Hiro who was used to Suichi ….and K who just couldn't give a damn.)

"What the hell is going on K-san? Just who was that and why did you 'kidnap' her?" said Suichi exaggerating "kidnap" with air quotes.

"What does she have to do with Seguchi-san? Why did she-"

*CLICK* "Shut up"

He shut up.

"Even _I_ don't know that. I was just sent to get her. I don't ask questions… I just do the job, and do it _**right**__."_ With that he gave an evil smile and his guns sparkled ominously.

Suichi gulped… but then started whining again "But I want to know who that was…"

"Then why don't we follow them?" Hiro asked with just a hint of mischief in his voice.

Suichi immediately turned chibi and glomped Hiro for the 'brilliant idea' and Suguru immediately objected, as always.

"I think that's a bad idea. We should be rehearsing not running all over the city chasing some girl."

"Come on Suguru-san, aren't you even interested?" said Hiro moving closer and closer to Suguru with a sadistic smile on his face. "Seguchi-san said 'he's her bother' don't you even want to see if you have a new cousin?"

Suguru had to admit… even he was curios. K honestly, didn't care what they did today. They weren't _on schedule_, but they weren't _behind _it either, despite what Sakano said. So, let the kids do whatever they want today, they needed a break anyway. Sakano was preoccupied patching walls so… the three were out the door faster than you could blink.

~~~~GRAVITATION~~~~

So, here I am, seated in that little bakery a while back, sitting across from, _of all people_, my _**brother**_ (half brother really- get it right!). We had ordered food. It was always nice to have something to soften the blow with, so chocolate was in order. Looots of chocolate. I had an iced chocolate and a chocolate éclair while he sipped an espresso. We just sat and ate in silence, an awkward silence. We would occasionally sneak peaks at each other.

Now that I actually had him up close, I really did look like him, Damn.

It was hard to tell what this man was thinking. He wore a cleverly placed mask of emotions that left you guessing. Right now he was smiling a fake sort of smile. I didn't like it. After a while he caught me looking at him. He just smiled at me and put down his coffee.

"Hishimoto-san, I apologise for my actions before and the way you have been treated the past few hours. I am sure you are not used to such behaviour. I would have gone to pick you up myself, but I was preoccupied."

"What? So you sent Kidnaper-san instead?"

"Though rough around the edges, K-san is a perfectly reliable man."

"He dragged me half way across the country with a gun to my head!"

"_Reliable_, not subtle."

There was a short pause were neither of us said anything.

"Well, explain. That's why I'm sitting here** quietly**."

~~~~GRAVITATION~~~~

"SSShhhhh Hiro! I can't hear what their saying!"

"I didn't say anything baka!"

"Guys can you stop sitting on me?"

Sure enough Hiro and Suichi were sitting on Suguru's back trying to sneak glances at Tohma and 'the mystery girl'. Currently they were hiding behind one of the bakery's many pot-plants a short distance away from said table. Don't ask me how 3 grown men all fit behind that ONE pot-plant but they seemed to manage somehow. They each wore sunglasses now (Suichi called it 'Disguise Mode') trying to be sneaky. But, I wasn't really working as they were making one hell of a racket.

"Hiro! Don't stand on my foot!"

"I'm not, idiot!"

"Get off! That's **my** foot!"

"SShhhhhh!"

Eventually, the waiter approached them (concerned that there were some weird guys hiding behind one of their pot-plants) and asked if they wanted anything. Suguru, being the responsible one, bowed to him (as much as he could with two grown men on top of him) and told him that they _"didn't need assistance"_ which resulted in a round of "SSSHHHHHH!"s from Hiro and Shu.

After a while of their meaningless shenanigans, they managed to shut up and listen to the conversation going on a few metres away…

~~~~GRAVITATION~~~~

He smiled at me, yet again, with that fake plastic smile. It was really starting to piss me off. . .

"Well then Hishimoto-san I believe a proper introduction is in order as the one back at the studios was quite rushed. My name is Seguchi Tohma, President of NG studios and I found out on Tuesday that I am your elder brother."

"…" I raised a _meaningful_ eyebrow.

"On Monday afternoon I received a phone call from the Central Tokyo Public Hospital telling me that my father had passed away from massive cardiac arrest. It wasn't until the next day at the will reading that I found out that my father, John Seguchi, was your father as well."

_**John Seguchi**_…I finally knew the bastards name and it was too late to do anything about it!…. He was dead…

"Of course hearing this news it is only natural to be shocked. I am sure you were unaware you had a brother as well, am I correct?"

His eyes locked with mine. It was quite disarming and almost _intimidating_.

"Y-Yes"

"Unfortunately, I could not come and pick you up myself as I had a very important meeting to attend this morning. So, as I said, I sent K-san to retrieve you."

"Can I just ask one thing?"

"Of course"

"Why come find me? You certainly don't look like the type who does things on a whim."

"My father had left your mother quite an amount in his will and since she has now passed, that sum is for you to inherit"

"I don't want his money" I spat back at him.

I couldn't believe it! The sheer nerve my bastard father had. Not there my entire life and thinks he can repent in the afterlife by leaving us money! I wished he had died sooner. . . That money could have saved my mother….

"Was that all? That's all you came to look for me for?"

Sure, I wasn't expecting something sweet and sappy, like those 7o'clock soap operas. But _still_ I was expecting more than just an inheritance!

"To be perfectly truthful I was curious."

"….Curious…"

"You could almost say I found you for sentimental reasons"

A vein in my forehead pulsed.

"_**Sen-ti-men-tal**_…Listen here you basta-"

"But, what I really wanted was to get to know my sister. Despite my appearance, I am not made of ice. I was exceptionally curious as to what type of person my sister was… what type of person _you_ were."

I just stared at him and raised my eyebrows urging him to keep going (it's all in the eyebrows I'm telling you!)…

"That's all!" he smiled that closed eyed, fake smile again.

I sweat-dropped.

Damn this really was like a freackin' soap opera! I figured that he didn't have any reason to lie to me. That's was it. That really was all he came to find me for…

…geez…


End file.
